Worth the Wait
by Luiniliel
Summary: Because true love and the love of true friends are worth the wait. MWPP era. -indefinite hiatus-
1. Boarding the Train

Just a warning: I don't own anything from Harry Potter. It is copyrighted to its respective owner, J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and etc.

Also, I have a tendency to never finish a story. But, I think this one may be different, simply because I've had this one brewing for several years now, and instead of waiting for my muse to make me feel like writing, I'm forcing this one out.

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September 1970.

Young James Potter stood on the Hogwart's train platform 9 ¾ 's. He had been waiting for ages, hanging on the every word of story that both his mom and his father told of their days in school. He was so anxious, so excited, so nervous, so... everything! His emotions were a huge jumbled mess of pure energy and excitement that he... had no idea what to do with himself.

He turned and looked back at his mother who was sniffling into her handkerchief. She smiled and waved him to go on. James ran back for one last hug and kiss before pulling his trunk behind him, and following a group of older Hogwart's students, found where to store his luggage.

Sirius Black, of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black sat down in his compartment. He was alone, which suited him. He did not want to run into his older cousin Bellatrix and her current boyfriend Lucius. If he was lucky he would be able to at least make it to the Welcome Feast without running into either of them. He just, for once in his life, wanted to make friends with people that shared his same interests, and didn't care about his family. In a way, he was sad that his summer visit with his uncle Alphard had to end so quickly because he had to go to school.

Remus Lupin was hesitant to step onto the train. He wasn't sure what to expect. He almost hoped that maybe, maybe someone will recognize him for what he was and not scream. Everyone, despite looking so happy... He just didn't know what to expect. He walked through the train to find an empty compartment in a dream. Remus was so scared that he afraid to bump into anyone for fear that it would wake him. He found a compartment and sat in it alone. It suited him. He wasn't ready yet, to talk to anyone. He opened up a school book and sat and read.

Sirius Black and James Potter sat laughing together in a compartment. When James had walked in and asked to take a seat Sirius agreed, and when the two of them tried to lift Sirius' trunk onto the luggage space above their heads, chaos ensued. In between laughter and giggles they each mimicked each other's face when the trunk slid off and bumped Sirius on the head, because he was the tallest, and then it continued onwards to bump James. They managed to get it back up properly before the train started to jerk forward, and the trunk just plainly fell. It would have been more fun and games if Bellatrix hadn't been passing by after visiting the loo and heard her cousin's voice.

Sirius Black was fuming. His stupid cousin had to find him and kick him out of his compartment, that HE FOUND FIRST! Because she wanted some "alone time" with Lucius. James Potter on the other hand, just took it in stride and pulled out a dung bomb from his pant pocket and secretly passed it to Sirius as the two of them moved Sirius' trunk to find another compartment. They found one relatively nearby and after safely depositing the trunk Sirius returned to gather his robe that he had forgotten before lighting the dung bomb and closing the compartment door to trap it two occupants inside.

Sirius and James were both rolling on the floor laughing, while Remus looked on greatly amused and slightly disturbed.

"Her face!"

"How was it?"

"Like a big, red tomato!!!" Sirius rolled onto his belly and kicked and beat the floor with his hands and feet. James just rolled backward and jerked with no sound as tears came out of his eyes.

Remus smiled as he looked at them, and chuckled. "Can I ask what you did?"

Sirius stood up with devilish grin. "My stupid git of a cousin took out compartment for her and her boyfriend, so I – we – put a dung bomb --"

"That was mine!"

"And..." Both James and Sirius took to laughing all over again.

Remus smiled as James and Sirius helped each other off the floor, and accidentally bumped heads and fell down a few times.

"Oye, I'm James Potter, and this idiotic fellow is Sirius Black."

"Nice to meet you."

"And your name is...?"

"Remus Lupin."

"Well Remus," Sirius sat next to the sandy-haired boy and flung his arm around his shoulder, "us giving you this information makes you an accomplice, and that only means one thing."

"What would that be?"

James sat opposite of the two of them and with his elbows on his knees, and his hands underneath his chin answered. "That means that you'll be stuck with us for the rest of the year and forever more, hear on after, until the end of time!!! MUWAHAHAHA!" James threw his head back and laughed his most evil laugh he could muster.

Remus paled considerably and Sirius noticed this.

"Don't worry mate. It just means we're friends."

Remus then smiled. It wasn't a dream, and he had friends, and he was starting school. Everything was perfect.

Sirius laughed. He had not only pranked his cousin, but found someone who had a similar way of thinking.

James, was genuinely enjoying himself. School was only getting better as it got closer. He found two friends and he couldn't wait to find out what house he was sorted into.

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Uh oh. What more excitement awaits this story?

Please read and review. Reviews feeds my soul and makes me feel guilty for not updating faster.


	2. On the Train

Note: I do not own Harry Potter.

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Chapter Two. 

James, Sirius and Remus all sat in their compartment together. Current James and Sirius were racing chocolate frogs while Remus chewed on a pumpkin pasty.

James picked up his frog after beating Sirius and bit off its head. "Sowhuffhousedooyuuwanbeputhinto?"

"Pardon me?"

Sirius laughed. "Dear Merlin Remus! James just asked what house do you want to be put into."

Remus hadn't really thought of it much before. "I don't know. I'd be happy to go into any one."

Sirius gawked. "I for one don't really care. So long as I do not get put into Slytherin."

James, once he finished his mouthful of chocolate, stood proudly on the bench, arms at his hips. "And I am going to be in GRYFFINDOR!!!" The train reached its destination and the quick stop threw James off and landed on top of Sirius.

"Oof."

"James."

"Yeah Sirius?"

"You hurt."

"No, I don't hurt. You hurt."

"You weigh like 800lbs though."

"And you are like a granite pillow."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not! Reeeemussssss! Get him off of meeee?!"

"Get him off yourself."

"Awh, Remus. That isn't very nice."

"Yeah Remus, that isn't nice at all. A very dear friend of yours is having difficulty picking himself up off the ground and all you do is stand their laughing."

James rolled off of Sirius and sat down on the floor cross legged. He slammed his fist into his palm. "This behavior is outrageous! AND I for one will not stand for it!"

Sirius, sat up, clutching his stomach. "I agree. Penance must be made for your foul deed."

Remus wasn't sure if they were joking or not, but he slowly began to edge his way toward the door, too bad James and Sirius were in the way.

"Ooof! Get off of me!"

"Not until you apologize."

"Apologize to me, apologize to Sirius, and then apologize to yourself."

"Fine. I'm sorry James, Sirius, and myself."

"And."

"And what?"

"And I promise from here on to be a better..."

"Troublemaker?"

"No... roughneck?"

"Eewh no... joker?"

"No... how about..."

"How about the lot of you get up and off the train so I can get a seat on the carriages before they are all gone." A prefect with the badge then shooed James, Sirius and Remus off the train.

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Uh oh. What more excitement awaits this story? 

Please Review.


	3. The Sorting

Note: I do not own Harry Potter, and this writing does not profit me in any way, except for personal: enjoyment.

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Chapter 3: The sorting. 

Minerva McGonagall pierced her lips together in a small grimace. School has not yet begun and already she spots two, no three troublemakers. They were easy to see, dripping dirty lake water all over the freshly polished floor. She had to make sure to speak to them before allowing them into the Great Hall.

A simply drying spell on all four of them. There were four on the boat, and it was four dripping water all over the floor. Two of the boys didn't seem to care much, but the other was awfully embarrassed by the situation and kept apologizing to the girl. The girl just kept trying to brush all the knots out of her hair with her fingers.

Minerva hoped to god that she did not end up with the three boys in her house.

Either way, she had a job to do.

"Esther Amber."

"Ravenclaw!"

"David Button."

"Slytherin!"

"Sirius Black."

Once the boy came up and she placed the hat on his head she had to grip the material of her robes at her sides to prevent herself from praying. "Not Gryffindor, not Griffindor, not Griffindor..." She hoped that no one could hear her muttering, or could read her lips.

Sirius Black stared at the inside rim of the cap. There was one loose string in particular that interested him. Just as he was about to begin thinking of pulling it out the hat started to speak to him.

"I wouldn't pull that string if I were you Mr. Black."

"Why not." Sirius was genuinely curious. I wasn't often you came across a talking hat.

"Because, then I'd have to eat you."

Sirius had to stop and think carefully about what the hat said. "You wouldn't eat me."

"Yes I would."

"You don't have a stomach."

"But I'm magical. How do you know I just don't have a magic stomach?"

Sirius was generally confused. "That's true... but can I just pull the string? It's bothering me, just being there, all dangly and stuff."

"You would dare pull the bit of thread in front of the entire student body and teachers and everyone and everything?"

"Yeah... why?"

"No reason... GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius jumped off the stool as soon the hat was pulled off his head. He smiled as he saw James jumping up and down waving at him, and especially as he saw his cousin Bellatrix glaring from the Slytherin table.

"Lily Evans."

"Gryffindor."

Sirius tried to smile at the girl he knocked into the water when he and James started rocking the boat. He hadn't meant to get her wet. He tried smiling at her, but that only ended in her glaring before returning to watch the sorting. Whatever. She was just a stupid girl anyways.

Remus Lupin.

Remus closed his eyes before the sorting hat even appeared over his head.

"You know, it is much easier to read someone's thoughts when their eyes are open."

"It is?"

"Yes, now lets see... hmm... how do you like it here so far, your condition and all?"

"It is great. I'm really excited, and I've just made two friends and everything seems really fantastic overall."

"What would you do if they found out?"

"I... I dunno I guess."

"But, regardless, you still want to be their friend, even if they reject you?"

"Yes, I'll be their friend for as long as they allow me to be..."

"Then, the house you will be in is... 'GRYFFINDOR!"

James was still very excited. The amount of fellow first years he stood with was growing smaller, and then seeing his two friends at the same table made him want to curse his name for being so far behind in the alphabet, or curse the alphabet. Whichever one was easiest. Probably the alphabet because everyone knows it. And then, to refuse the alphabet would show pure character. True genius! To go where no man or wizard or witch or whatever has gone before, to dedicate oneself to pure, sheer brilliance and freedom and originality!

"James Potter.

James Potter.

JAMES POTTER!"

Minerva nearly lost it. The second boy from before was there, staring at the ceiling in the Great Hall for all the cares in the world, not listening to her call his name nearly five times.

He went up to her with a dreamy smile on his face, and sat down on the stool. Minerva had to stop herself from throttling him as she put the hat on his head.

"So James Potter, eh?"

"Yes?"

"You want to be in Gryffindor?"

"Yes."

"But what was this about changing the alphabet?"

"I just don't like it."

"So you are willing to be shunned by all of society for something you believe in, or to be alone in that belief?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Well, then... GRYFFINDOR!"

James jumped off the stool and ran down to the table where Sirius and Remus had saved him a seat, before having to backtrack to pick up the hat he dropped and politely hand it to Professor McGonagall. It took about three tries.

James, Sirius and Remus, while excited to all be sorted into the same house were also growing boys who were quickly losing disinterest in the sorting, and started playing with the plates and utensils in front of them, or rather, James and Sirius were playing with the utensils, while Remus tried to look as interested in the sorting as possible, but failing miserably. Failing because he was unable to keep his stomach from grumbling loudly.

After a particularly loud rumble Professor McGonagall gave him a very harsh glare, that turned Remus around to stare at his empty plate, or rather, where his empty plate should have been.

James and Sirius were building a tower of plates and forks. They took his plate and fork without asking.

Remus sighed. It was going to be a long year, worth it, but still a long year.

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Please Review. 


	4. Welcome Feast

I do not own Harry Potter in any way. I believe that here my story will start taking a turn for the AU that I've been dreaming of. (Cackles madly like Bellatrix) Anyway. If you really would like to know what I'm talking about this story is sort of a companion piece, or has a companion piece, Darkness of Souls, which I'm still working on. Heh.

Read and Review!

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Chapter 4: Welcome Feast Dinner

Remus sighed. This was going to be a long year, and what he hoped to be worthwhile.

Lily Evans sat across the table from him. She was rather tall for her age, Remus was a full head shorter. She had thin red hair that reached just below her chin. It would have been straight had Sirius and James not decided to check the magic of the boat and to see if they could tip it over. Either way, it was short and because it was dried magically without a comb it gave the appearance of being wavy, when really they were just knots she couldn't quite remove. She sat rather hunched at the table, a bit shy in appearance, something Remus could relate to. She tried hard not to stare at everything around her, and was relatively quiet even when a few girls, just recently sorted also, began talking to her.

She noticed his staring and smiled back at him. Remus blushed, not realizing that he had been staring, and returned to staring at the empty place where his plate should have been.

Finally the sorting was over and Headmaster Dumbledore stood to give his speech, or rather Dumbledore stood to introduce the feast and to remind students that there was a speech after dinner.

Remus couldn't believe his eyes. When Dumbledore clapped his hands and announced for the students to dig in the food appeared suddenly on the table. His plate was back in front of him, as his utensils, much to the sadness of James and Sirius. But they quite complaining once they realized all that was in front of them.

Remus and all the other first years had much the same expressions on their face, sheer excitement and wonder. Remus could see it in James' eyes, Sirius' smile. He felt it on his own face as well. Lily Evans even clapped her hands and just stared at everything in front of her before realizing that it was real and she could begin to dig in.

Remus tried to eat as proper as possible, but that was difficult considering who he sitting next to. James and Sirius were fighting to see who could eat the fastest. It was a wonder how quickly the two of them were becoming friends so fast.

Soon the dinner was finished and everyone had a look of sheer contentment on their face. Remus laughed at Sirius sitting next to him who was slouching in his seat, and rubbing his belly. James sitting across from him looked defeated and incredibly sleepy. He sat with one arm on the table supporting his head and he appeared to be trying to have a conversation with Lily, who seemed unforgiving about the boat incident. Remus himself burped extremely loud and embarrassing after the table was cleared, completely by accident, of course, but it ended with whoops and hollers from the other students.

Dumbledore even chuckled at that before starting his beginning of the year speech.

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Please Review.

It makes me feel happy.


	5. First Night, pt1

Sorry for the long wait, sometimes my muses come and go... or rather I simply forget about a story until someone reviews... (hint, hint)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter, just my random speculation on the history of the Marauders' time at Hogwarts.

In the dorms; Chapter 4

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Sirius and James hopped all on top of all the beds in their room. The bed hanging were ripped open as soon as they had entered and Peter's, a shy boy with mousy brown hair, bed hangings for the foot of his bed were laying on the floor. Peter meanwhile just sat silently at the bottom of his bed while Sirius jumped behind him.

Remus suddenly dreaded having to live with his roommates for the remainder of the year, even if it was only the first night. He hoped to high heavens that it would be different as soon as some of the initial excitement wore off and they grew more used to one another. More importantly though he hoped that having roommates wouldn't effect him negatively. He was not used to being around others much as he never really had anyone to play with him. All the neighboring families in the village around his home restricted all access their children had with him after the accident, even though before he was absolutely their favorite beforehand and the baker and grocer would even slip him treats that were a few days old when his parents were not looking. As a result he was rather popular among all the village children for being fair and kind and sharing. It all drastically changed after the attack and he no longer had anyone to talk to. He eventually stopped talking completely and took to reading in his room all day. It was only last year when he started talking again, asking what would happen to him once he turned eleven. He hoped to high heavens that no one would find about his condition and get him kicked out of Hogwarts. He opened his trunk and reached in to remove his bed clothes before moving to the shared bathroom to change for the night. It would not be good for his roommate's to see his scars so early on and grow suspicious.

Peter meanwhile sat at the foot of the bed and wondered when he would be able to fall asleep. He was certainly excited, his older sister telling him many stories about when she attended Hogwarts before dropping out to raise him after their mother's death from an illness. Their father had abandoned them long ago. He was scared and nervous. After their parent's death they had taken to sharing a bed and this would be the first night after a long time that he would have to sleep on his own. He startled when he heard the door to the room close and the other boy, tall and lanky with golden brown hair, stepped out to do whatever. He stared at the door for a while wondering what he was going to do alone with the other two that seemed intent on tearing apart the room. He quickly turned his head when the door opened and the light from the hallway blinded him temporarily. The other boy came back in wearing a striped pajama set. Peter now knew what the other boy had left for and decided it would be good for him to do the same, even though he might not sleep easily on his own. He stepped out of the room with his pajamas in tow.

James finally jumped down after the other boy left the room. "Remus!" He sang in a sing-songy voice. "Why are you getting ready to go to sleep already? We have the whole night, our first night away from our parents mind you, to stay up and eat smores and do whatever we like."

Sirius jumped off of a bed, "Smores?"

James nodded. "My parents told me that we can enter the kitchen and house-elfs will give us food."

"All right!" Sirius danced around in a circle.

Remus looked at the two of them skeptically. "Won't we get in trouble if we leave the dorms after quiet hours have started?"

James looked thoughtful for a moment before responding, "Not if we don't get caught."

Sirius seemed oblivious to the conversation going on as he was still dancing around singing "smores." He only stopped once the other boy came into the room dressed in pajamas. "James! It's another one! They're multiplying! Oh! The inhumanity!" He threw himself on the floor and fake-sobbed into a area carpet.

"Hey, do you wanna go with us to get some smores and stuff from the kitchen?" James threw the question out, it wouldn't be good to ostracize one of his roommates, on the first night of school none the less.

Peter nearly shouted out his answer. He was excited. At first he worried that no one would like him and now it already seemed like they were willing to become his friends and take him on adventures with them. It left Remus with no choice. It would seem that everyone was willing to go and he didn't want to appear as though he wasn't used to having any fun.

It was decided, around 10pm at night, that all the boys from Gryffindor Tower, Boys side, room 2, would leave at 10:30p, or once their head of house left the common room, to go out and retrieve goodies from the kitchens and explore the fantastic school they were all to begin the next morning.

"Hey, it shouldn't be too hard, right? To stay up all night? I mean, I see my parents go to bed later than me and they wake up earlier than me and they seem fine."

Sirius, Remus and Peter all looked at each other questioningly. No one seemed to know the answer.

Sirius threw his arm over James' shoulder. "I don't think none of us know, but I guess that it is time to found out."  
"Any of us, none is improper grammar..."

"Can we get a move on, just thinking about the food is making me hungry." Peter's stomach gave a fairly loud growl.

They all laughed. "I guess it's time to move."

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A/N: An awesome chapter, this one completely just flew from my fingertips. Please review! 


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